


Measuring Up

by EnvyBakemono



Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: Gen, Lance (Voltron) is a Mess, Self-Esteem Issues, Training
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-03-01
Updated: 2017-03-01
Packaged: 2018-09-27 18:50:03
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,092
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10039481
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/EnvyBakemono/pseuds/EnvyBakemono
Summary: Keith has insomnia, and finally decides to *do* something about it. Turns out he's not the only one up at night. Keith & Lance friendship, written for Platonic VLD Week.





	

**Author's Note:**

> Written for Platonic VLD Week – day 4 – Enemies/Family! Especially in the spirit of Platonic VLD Week, this is completely gen. You may read it however you wish, but it’s meant to be in the canon of the show and with only the canon friendships in mind. Or whatever Lance and Keith are doing. Enemyship? Something like that.  
> TW: self-esteem issues, self-inflicted (but not deliberate self-harm) injuries

There’s no such thing as ‘night’ out in space, but they usually end up keeping a schedule anyway. It’s hard to go into battle if they’re all running on different schedules, after all, and the Castle has systems and alerts in place.

There’s no such thing at night, but Keith can’t sleep during it anyway. One night, he ends up kicking off the sheets in a fury, ready to hit something. Insomnia is a _bitch,_ and he wants it gone. It does make him feel better to remember that that’s how he met Shiro – he couldn’t sleep, Shiro was up late finishing a project –

For the first time, he gets up and roams the Castle at night. Carefully, of course. He doesn’t _entirely_ trust the place. He doesn’t quite trust anything, to be honest (except Shiro), which is probably unhealthy.

 _Training. Maybe I’ll train._ It’s probably not the best idea, but he’s filled with the type of nervous energy that he knows he’ll _have_ to burn before he can get any sleep.

But there’s already somebody in the training room.

He stays quietly in the entrance, wondering if he’ll be noticed before he has to announce himself. He doesn’t _like_ Lance, but that doesn’t mean he wants to startle him – and slowly, Keith backs away, realizing he’s not supposed to be here, he’s not supposed to _see_ this.

Lance is holding a sword, he’s facing off with one of the training robots – and he’s losing. Badly. From here, Keith can see it’s the entry level bot. But every swing Lance takes, it’s met with a block and a blow. Twice before Keith averts his eyes, Lance lands on the floor.

It’s faintly pathetic, but he can’t stop hating himself for being here at all. _Do I walk away?_ He knows one thing – it’s not funny.

Finally, he takes a step into the training room, and turns off the simulation. The robot falls to the floor, and Lance whips around, fury visible on his face in the split second before he gives a cheeky grin. “Ah, Keith! Here to see how it’s done?”

Keith has to think over his words. “I can show you. If you want -”

The smile vanishes. “I don’t want _your_ help.”

“-if you’ll teach me how to shoot.”

Lance blinks. “Uh. What?” He narrows his eyes. “You can shoot _fine._ ”

“Yeah, and you’re a crack shot.”

“I don’t trust you. You’re _up_ to something.”

Maybe it’s the insomnia. Maybe it’s the fact that nobody should be up all night fighting a robot that doesn’t come with instructions or techniques. Maybe it’s just a gut feeling. But Keith reaches forward suddenly and jerks the sleeve of Lance’s hoodie up. His arm is covered with dark, purpling bruises. He wonders how many others there are – how many nights he’s been doing this. How little sleep he’s been getting.

How long it would be before anybody _noticed._

 _Don’t give yourself any credit here, Keith,_ he reminds himself. It was just chance. “You know you can’t be good at everything, right?”

He ducks as the sword gets thrown at his head, although it’s obviously a deliberate miss as it clangs against the ceiling. Lance doesn’t miss. He knows _that_ much. “Maybe somebody should have told _you_ that!”

“So _that’s_ what this is about? Being _better_ than me at something? You’re a sharpshooter, isn’t that enough-?”

“Like that even registers next to mister _perfect Keith._ ” Lance snaps. Usually there’s a hint of teasing or gentleness to his jabs. This time, it’s all bitterness. “You got _kicked out_ and nobody shut up about you! And now we’re off _saving the world_ and it’s the fucking…Keith and Shiro show. So do me a favour and don’t tell me off for wanting to not _suck_ at something for once.”

Keith can feel himself getting angry, but it’s a memory that makes him take a breath. A few of them, actually. One of them is Lance telling him he can’t blow things up like a psycho, and he can’t _not_ want to laugh at that even though that…wouldn’t go over well. The other…

“You know I weigh like… a hundred pounds. Right?”

“What?”

“I think the last time I checked I was, er, a hundred and ten?”

Lance rolls his eyes. “Okay, and I’m a hundred and fifty. What’s your point?”

Keith’s smiling despite himself. “What’s the heaviest thing you’ve ever seen me lift?”

“…Uh. Am I supposed to be keeping track or something?” Lance blinks. “I mean – I _guess_ you’re not very muscly –“

“I tore a ligament in my shoulder trying to lift weights, back at school. It healed, but Shiro got so mad at me.” He chuckles a bit. “He told me it was fine and all to try get stronger, but if I was trying to look like _him_ , I was entirely missing the point. I’m a pilot and a fencer. The rest is a bonus.”

Lance is definitely paying attention now. “W-well, is _Shiro_ bad at anything?”

“He can’t lie for shit.”

 _“Really?_ ”

“Really.” Keith walks across the room and picks up the thrown training sword. “And I’m the one who taught _him_ how to fence. I can teach you. At least better than a stupid robot.”

“If I can stand being in the same room as you for that long,” Lance retorts, but the humour’s back in his voice.

“Don’t worry. Get good enough at it and you can just stab me.”

“Yippee, motivation!” Lance grabs for the sword – and Keith keeps it away.

“Not tonight. Tonight, you’re going to bed.”

“What? I’m _fine –“_

Keith glares at him until Lance drops his arms and sighs dramatically. “I’ll… go to bed. Fine.” He sits down onto the floor, then collapses the rest of the way with a groan, long legs tangled. “That was such a _bad_ idea.”

“I’d agree, but you’ll get grouchy.”

“I’m already grouchy.”

“Come on.” Keith offers his hand. Lance gives it a distrusting look, but then with a cautious smile, takes it – and wrenches Keith down onto the floor with him.

“ _Hah!”_

“…That’s it. I’m beating your ass. Tonight.”

But by the time he’s gotten himself up from the floor, Lance is asleep, too far gone even to snore. Keith can’t decide whether to pick him up or just leave him there – so he sits there next to him for a little while. Silently, he makes a promise that next time – next time he’ll pay attention. Not everybody has a Shiro to look out for them, after all.


End file.
